


Marta the Vampire Slayer

by nothingeverlost



Category: Knives Out (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire Slayer, Gen, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:02:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24759010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingeverlost/pseuds/nothingeverlost
Summary: “It’s all true, my dear girl.  Every Slayer or potential Slayer is assigned a Watcher, to train them in the art of fighting and to aid them in the fight against the dark.  Harlan was your Watcher.”
Relationships: Benoit Blanc & Marta Cabrera, Marta Cabrera & Harlan Thrombey
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Marta the Vampire Slayer

“Where’s Harlan’s body?” The question came only a few minutes after Benoit Blanc introduced himself as an old friend of Harlan’s. She hadn’t even had a chance to find out why he’d come or how he’d known, somehow, that Harlan had died.

“It’s at the morgue. They have to do an autopsy.” She remembered the strange wound at his neck and the blood that stained his shirt collar. The cops thought he’d killed himself, because of the knife in his hands, but there was still something about the wound that wasn’t right.

“We have to go there right away. I’m surprised you’re not there already.” Mr. Blanc picked up his bag. “Were there any signs that they might have tried to turn him? Any blood stains near his mouth?”

“I don’t understand.” Why would it matter if someone had turned him over?

“It’s a great coup, to turn a Watcher. His knowledge of his Slayer, of course, is invaluable but what most vampires find satisfying is the potential mind games. Few things rattle a Slayer more than coming face to face with a demon wearing the face of a friend.”

“Slayer? Watcher?” He spoke the words as if they meant something.

“Oh dear. I was hoping Harlan would have explained at least some of the fundamentals to you. I’ll have to explain as we go. We need to be at the morgue as soon as we can; the sun is about to rise.” He spoke with a Southern drawl that made her think of picnics in the sun but changed direction quick enough to make her dizzy.

“Harlan’s children will be here soon.” She’d called Linda as soon as the police had allowed her. Linda would tell Walt and Joanie.

“They won’t be any use in this.” He ushered her into his car before she’d realized they’d even left the house. She felt numb, like her brain wasn’t connected to her feet or anything else. She should have insisted that they stay at the house. What happened when Linda and the family arrived? What if the police called again? And what did he mean by turning?

“The morgue will be closed by now.” It would be dark outside in half an hour.

“Good, that should make it easier to get inside. Less people to distract.”

“You don’t really mean to go inside, do you?” Corpses weren’t anything new; she’d had to dissect them for her AP bio classes, and she was planning on being premed next year in college. She wasn’t ready to see Harlan like that.

“We’re both going to have to go in, I’m afraid. We need to be certain that he’s not going to rise.”

“He’s dead.” Blood dripping down his neck and his eyes fading as he tried to whisper something to her. She hadn’t been able to understand.

“He is, and I’m sorry Marta, I really am. I know you will need time to mourn him, but unfortunately right now there are more pressing matters. We need to be certain he stays dead,” he said emphatically.

“People don’t come back from the dead, not after their brain activity stops.” It had been hours since she’d found him. He’d be so cold now.

“There are exceptions.” He looked at her once, as they pulled up to the red light of an intersection. Until the car started again he was silent. “Harlan has been training you, hasn’t he?”

“Someone comes to the house three days a week for judo lessons. Harlan says it’s important that I know how to defend myself.” Her mom had always said to make as much noise as she could and then run, but Harlan said you couldn’t always get away. “He’s teaching me fencing too, but I think that’s more because he misses having someone to spar against. And we play Go in the evenings, because he says it’s good training for the brain.”

“He’s right about not always being able to run.” Mr. Blanc parked the car on the street behind the morgue. “Has he trained you with any weapons?”

“Other than the epee? He showed me how to use a knife and how to get a weapon away from an attacker. And he explained a lot of his weapons.” He had a whole wall of them, some centuries old. Marta had put it down to his being a mystery writer. “Sometimes we do archery. I’m pretty good at that.”

“Yes, well it’s going to be too small of a room for arrows, and a knife isn’t going to help you if the worst happens tonight. You’ll need this.” He opened the bag he’d stowed in the trunk and handed her a stick. Sure, it was sharp on one end but it was still a stick.

“I’m going to defend myself with a stick?” 

“Yes, and remember to aim for the heart. The wood has to pierce the heart for it to work.” He was already making his way towards the back door. Marta didn’t have any choice but to keep up, the wood still clenched in her hand despite her confusion.

“What if someone sees us?” It wasn’t quite dark yet, and he was kneeling in front of the door with a lock pick in his hand. He might be able to get off, but she wasn’t a white guy with a charming accent. And she had a weapon, if you could call it that. She was so going to jail.

“We tell the truth, or at least part of it. Our friend died today. We didn’t know the morgue was closed already.” It didn’t take him much longer to open the door then it would have with a key. She had to wonder why he was so good at that. The lights were off, the hallway already dim. It only took a few steps to get to the room they were looking for. “It’s always better to at least start with the truth.”

“I can’t lie.” Even thinking about it had bile rising at the back of her throat.

“Ah yes, I heard about that. Well I’m sure regurgitation would be just as good at distracting anyone who asked a question.” He opened the door, holding it for her to enter first. She really didn’t want to go in, but couldn’t figure out how to say no to him. “Oh good, it looks like everyone is still nicely tucked in.”

“You said you would explain things.” She pulled her cardigan a little tighter around her. It wasn’t actually getting colder in the room, was it?

“I did, and I always endeavor to keep my promises. There isn’t an easy way to explain this, but the simple version is that vampires are real, and in order to battle the forces of dark there is a Slayer, a girl gifted with the power to fight the vampire and protect our world. When one Slayer dies a new one is called. And that, Marta Cabrera, is you.”

“Are you in a mystery writing group with Harlan? Is that how you knew him?” She would laugh if she remembered how.

“It’s all true, my dear girl. Every Slayer or potential Slayer is assigned a Watcher, to train them in the art of fighting and to aid them in the fight against the dark. Harlan was your Watcher.”

“Harlan was a friend of the family.” He’d taken her and Alice in, two years ago when their mom had died. She’d never met him before that, but he’d apparently been an old friend of her father’s from years ago and since she and Alice had no other family he’d become their guardian.

“He has quite the extensive library. Did you ever see books about vampires and magic in his collection?”

“He writes mystery novels. Some of them have occult plot lines.” She might have looked at them, finding them fascinating, but it was all fiction. It had to be.

“Does he train your sister in fencing and martial arts?”

“She’s younger than I am and doesn’t go places alone.” She was thirteen now, and a freshman; it was the only year they would go to school together. Marta had just started her senior year.

“Vampires are very real, Marta. I’m afraid you’re going to learn that soon. If not tonight then we’ll start patrolling tomorrow.”

“Patrolling what?” The tables in the middle of the room were all empty, but there was a wall of drawers that Marta knew didn’t hold papers. Harlan was in one of those drawers.

“Cemeteries. It’s the best place to find new vampires other than morgues and I don’t think we should break into one too often. It’s better if you start out with ones that are new, before they’ve learned to use their strength.”

“I’d like to go home now.” She didn’t think she could take much more. Then again she didn’t know how much longer she had a home either. Harlan was her guardian but he was dead. He had kids, though she hadn’t met them very often. She was pretty sure none of them would be interested in taking in a pair of orphaned teenagers.

“I’m afraid it’s time for your first lesson, Marta. You have your stake?” Behind her there was a sound of metal rolling. One of the drawers was opening but she and Mr. Blanc were the only ones in the room. 

“Mr. Blanc…”

“Why don’t you call me Benoit? We’re going to be spending a lot of time together.” His touch to her shoulder was gentle. “Now just remember to aim for the heart, alright?”

Marta turned and wanted to scream when a man came lunging at her. It was a young man, someone she’d never seen before. Even though she didn’t believe what was happening she was grateful it wasn’t Harlan. The stake in her hand was weirdly comforting. 

“Aim for the heart,” she whispered to herself. Maybe she took her own advice, or maybe she just reacted. When the man - thing - got too close she moved her hand. A piece of wood shouldn’t be enough to impale someone but she felt it hit flesh. A moment later he was gone and all that remained was a pile of ash on the floor of the cemetery.

“Good girl. How do you feel?” Benoit asked.

“Fine,” she answered politely. A moment later she threw up in the trash can.

It was an hour before they left, One moment Benoit had been telling her a story about a demon prophecy thwarted a year ago, and the next he had declared that if Harlan had turned he wouldn’t have been so patient. They were spared that painful task, at least.

“What happens now?” She asked after they drove back to the house in silence. 

“You will need to train and study with a Watcher. Tomorrow we’ll start night time patrols.”

“You said Harlan was my Watcher.” 

“He was a good Watcher and a good man. He will be missed but the Council would never leave you unprotected. I did not come just to tell you that you’re a Slayer, Marta. I am your new Watcher.” 

“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say. It was all too much, and she wanted nothing more than her bed. Alice was at a friend’s birthday slumber party, and tomorrow she would have to tell her about Harlan. They would have to figure out what came next, which she thought was hard enough when it meant where they were going to live and who would take care of them. But apparently now there were vampires and demons too.

“We’ll work on it all together, a little at a time. You’re more prepared for this then you know. I will help you see that,” Benoit promised.

Marta looked over her shoulder when she got out of the car. The house was surrounded by darkness. She wondered what was out there, waiting.


End file.
